Verizon iPhone 4 Launches to Customer Lines, Upbeat Analysts

by Nicholas Kolakowski

Verizon Wireless launched Apple's iPhone 4 on its network Feb. 10, opening its doors at 7 a.m. to customers who, at least in New York City, queued up in the cold weather for a chance to get their hands on the device. The iPhone's presence on Verizon's network breaks AT&T's longtime exclusive hold on the smartphone in the United States, something that many analysts predict will translate into millions more units sold per year. While Verizon Wireless and Apple both expect this newest variant of the iPhone to prove a hit, and the iPhone is receiving prominent placement front-and-center in Verizon stores, the carrier continues to promote several rival devices, including Motorola's Droid franchise. That helps illustrate how, despite its enduring popularity, the Apple iPhone faces more competition than ever from the growing family of Google Android smartphonesnot to mention Research In Motion's BlackBerry, the new Windows Phone 7 ecosystem, and the upcoming webOS phones from Hewlett-Packard.??í

Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.